Casa Ridgway is a project of the growing Quaker community in San Jose, and as such it is every bit as calm, friendly, and clean as you would imagine.
The Location
Next door to The Friends Peace Center on a dead end street, Casa Ridgway is just about as quiet a place as you could find in this bustling city. It's just two blocks away from the Plaza de la Democracia with its pleasant artisan market to wander through, and one more block brings you to Avenida Central -- you'll find it is very centrally located.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Dorm rooms are clean and quiet, but most are without any natural light. The bathrooms are sufficient, with hot water and very clean. There are no lockers in the dorms, but the staff are happy to lock small things up in the office for you.
Common Spaces
Casa Ridgway offers lots of cozy sitting areas, a bank of computers, a big sitting room with free Wi-Fi (and this is where the resident cat likes to hang out), a small but efficient kitchen, a lovely patio dining area, and a huge library filled with Costa Rican history and info, as well as lots of Quaker literature.
Summary
With a no smoking/drinking policy and quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., partiers should look elsewhere for lodgings, but if you don't mind the rules, this is a great place to get oriented for your Costa Rican adventure. And all profits made in this reasonably priced hostel go to support The Friends Peace Center.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
February 2009
Location/Contact
